At the age of 16, shoemaker Salvatore Ferragamo emigrated to America and settled in Hollywood where he found great success in the filmstar circuit. To heighten the comfort of his aesthetically audacious designs, he proceeded to study Anatomy at the University of Southern California.

Ferragamo would return to his homeland of Italy after this to establish his own couture shoemaking business. His clients included royalty and stars alike, including Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren and Marilyn Monroe. At one poin, he employed 700 expert artisans who produced 350 pairs of handmade shoes a day. Ferragamo was a creative and a scientific pioneer of shoemaking, having created both the wedge heel and the cage heel.

Today, the company is still an integral part of the Ferragamo family. It is orchestrated by Ferragamo's widow and their children, and remains one of the most revered shoe brands in the world. It has also expanded to include a successful fragrance range, with bestselling scents including the vivacious Incanto Bloom, F by Ferragamo Femme, and Attimo.